Note on the Back of Teacher

While in High School I had this great teacher, I believe that a lot of who I am is because of this teacher. Mr. Larry Frazee had such an impact on my life that I feel like I have succeeded. Now I wasn’t the best kid in the class nor did I try to suck up. It took me years after high school to realize the impact he had on me.

One of the times I was not so good was when I was a sophomore and I was taking mechanical drawing. It is one of those class that teaches you the basics of drafting. Like all kids do we would stick notes on each other’s backs and laugh. The notes would say all kinds of things like “kick me” to calling someone a bad name. This went on for a while.

I was in this class with a lot of friends Chad, Eric, Eddie, Gina, Mark and so many more. Some of these friends I still talk today. So class is going on and it is normal we are working and goofing off. I stick a note on someone’s back everyone laughs. Chad walks up to me a dares me to put a note on Mr. Frazee’s back. I was young, I was dumb but I still knew better. The note I was dared to place on the teachers back said, “I am a FAG”

First off I don’t use that word anymore because it is inappropriate, mean, and just not a nice word but that is what the note says.

Chad dared me to do it and this time in my life I won’t back down from a dare. So I take the note I slowly walk up to Mr. Frazee’s desk lean down ask him a question all while putting this note on his back. (I was a stupid teenager). He answers my question and walk back to my desk, looking at Chad the whole way like now what. I sit down.

I am sitting there proud of myself thinking I got away with it, and I AM THE MAN. When I see him get up walk up to Mr. Frazee and pull the not off of his back. He leans down and tells him something. He stands up and walks back to his desk.

Mr. Frazee looks up and says, “Adam can you come here”

First thing that goes through my mind is thanks Mark W. for ratting me out. I stand up from my desk and walk the lonely road of shame up to his desk with my head hung low. When I arrive I say “yes”

“Did you do this?”

“Yes” I answered.

“Go to the office” he replies and hands me a referral.

I walked back to my desk grab my stuff without talking to anyone. I looked up at Chad and Chad just lowered his head. I walked out of the room and to the office. When I arrive I hand the referral to the secretary and she looks at it. Then tells me that I will have to talk to the principal. See usually disciplinary actions we handle by the vice principal. I started to think this is bad.

I walk into the principal’s office he reads the referral and looks at me and says, “I think this is funny but you are going to have to go home for a couple of days. I will call you mom.”

Great now I am in trouble he is going to call my mom. He calls and tells her what is going on and hangs up. He looks back at me and says, “She said to walk home, go get your stuff and come back here.”

So I do what I am told. When I get back he tells me the I am being suspended for 2 days. I walk out of the office and out of the front doors and head for home. While walking home, it was only 5 blocks, I start thinking what kind of punishment am I going to get. I arrive and walk in the door.

Mom ask, “What did you do?”

I explain everything to her. “Why did you do it?”

“Well Chad dared me to. I can back down from a dare”

“If Chad dared you to jump off a bridge would you” (I hate this question)

“No”

She then told me that I would have to apologize to Mr. Frazee when I got back to school.

The 2 days went by and I returned to school I walked up to Mr. Frazee and said I was sorry and that was that. I had him for 2 more years of high school and still stay in contact with him and he has never brought it up. I think he understood that I was a dumb kid.

The punishment I received for this was nothing, I didn’t get grounded, spanked or anything, the only punishment was that I had to take responsibility and apologize to a man who is special in my life.